The Acolyte of Spirits and Curses

The evening air was cooler when they stepped out of the arcade.

The sky had begun to soften into shades of orange and violet with the last stretch of sunlight slipping between the buildings.

Klein pushed the door open, and Evelyne followed beside him, still holding the plush lightly in her arms.

"...You really destroyed it," Klein muttered, glancing sideways at her.

Evelyne let out a small laugh "...It shouldn’t have cheated."

"You keep saying that like it’s a valid excuse."

Klein shook his head, and a quiet chuckle slipped out of his lips as they walked along the street.

They walked for a bit longer like that, talking about nothing important... just some small talk about Arcade and his favorite games to play.

At some point, Evelyne’s gaze drifted downward to his hand.

Her steps slowed just slightly.

Then, almost absentmindedly, she reached out.

Her fingers brushed against his fingers for a brief second before gently taking his hand.

Klein glanced at her, but she didn’t look up.

Instead, she moved closer, wrapping her arms lightly around his arm and a second later, she leaned her head against his shoulder.

"...There’s a better spot," she said quietly in a soft voice. "For the sunset."

Klein looked ahead, then slightly "...Oh?"

She gave a small nod against his shoulder. "Mm. Not far from here."

He just adjusted his pace slightly to match hers better "...Then lead the way."

Evelyne’s fingers tightened just a little around his arm "...Alright."

She guided him away from the busier street, turning into a quieter path lined with trees.

The noise of traffic faded behind them, washed out by the soft rustling of leaves and the distant murmur of the city winding down for the evening.

The sky deepened as they walked.

They continued walking until the path opened up into a slightly elevated area with a small overlook that faced the horizon, giving a clear view of the setting sun.

Evelyne slowed, "...Here."

Klein followed her gaze.

The sun was low now, just above the edge of the skyline with its light reflecting softly across everything, casting long shadows and bathing the world in warm gold.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Evelyne shifted just slightly, adjusting her hold on his arm as she leaned a bit more comfortably against him.

Looking at her, he muttered "It’s a great spot."

Evelyne nodded lightly with her gaze still on the view. "Yeah."

After a moment, she straightened just a little, reached into her bag and pulled out her mobile.

She lifted it and began taking pictures.

She adjusted the angle carefully, stepping half a step forward, then back again, trying to capture it just right.

She snapped a few more photos, then glanced at the screen, checking them one by one.

A faint, satisfied look appeared on her face as she nodded to herself "...Good."

Klein let out a small chuckle "Professional photographer?"

"...No," she replied, still looking at the screen. "But I don’t like taking bad pictures."

After a second, she hesitated.

Her fingers paused over the screen and then she turned her head toward him.

"...Can we take one together?"

Hm? Klein gave a slow nod "...Sure."

Evelyne’s expression softened just a little.

She stepped closer again and shifted her position so she was standing right beside him.

Her arm naturally slipped back around his, pulling him slightly closer as she raised the phone.

She adjusted the angle, tilting the camera so both of them fit into the frame along with the sunset behind.

"...Wait," she murmured, lowering it slightly.

She leaned in just a little more.

Her shoulder pressed lightly against his chest and she tilted her head closer so it rested near his.

She lifted the phone again "...Ready?"

"Mm."

She tapped the screen.

Then she lowered the phone and immediately looked at the picture.

Her eyes softened "...It came out well."

Klein glanced at the screen and nodded "Yeah. It did."

At that moment, the phone vibrated in Klein’s pocket.

He glanced at the screen, and the moment he saw the name, he smiled.

"...I’ll take this,"

Evelyne nodded absentmindedly, still focused on the photo on her phone as she looked at it again.

Klein stepped away from her, walking toward the railing that overlooked the horizon.

The last light of the sun was fading, painting the sky in soft shades of orange and violet.

He leaned against the metal rail and brought the phone to his ear "You reached?"

On the other side, Lyra’s voice came through "I’m already at the hotel."

Klein looked out at the skyline, "You got here faster than I expected."

"You think crossing half the human domain is easy? I didn’t come here for leisure."

"You’re not lacking money or resources. I told you to come. I didn’t tell you to rush."

"I’m waiting," she said after a moment. "Are you coming now?"

Klein’s gaze flickered slightly, "Give me a little time."

"...You’re busy?"

"Something like that."

There was a short silence, then her voice came again, "...Another woman?"

"Uh huh."

He heard her amused voice "I knew you were shameless. I didn’t expect you to be this efficient."

"So just like you flirted with me, you flirt with other older women to get their money or what?"

With a dry smile, he replied "The reason I flirted with you was... well, because of the ’energy’ within you."

"Right now, I am on a real date... I will call you later. Just wait in your room."

"Hu-"

He cancelled the call and slipped the phone back in his pocket.

Behind him, Evelyne was still standing where he left her.

She looked down at the photo again, her fingers hovering over the screen before she tapped a few settings.

After a moment, she set it as her wallpaper.

The image now filled her screen with the two of them, side by side.

When she looked up again, her gaze drifted toward Klein.

He was still leaning against the railing, looking out at the horizon, his silhouette outlined by the fading light.

For a moment, she just watched him.

Then she walked over slowly, and without saying anything, she slipped her arm around his arm again.

"Done with your call?" she asked softly.

Klein glanced down at her briefly, then back at the horizon "...Yeah."

Evelyne nodded, resting her head comfortably against his shoulder.

---

The café was quieter than the rest of the street, tucked along the edge of the river.

Warm lights hung above the seating area, casting a gentle glow over the wooden tables.

Evelyne chose a table near the edge.

She set her bag down first, then sat close enough that their shoulders brushed lightly as she adjusted her position.

The faint scent of coffee and roasted beans hung in the air, mixing with the cool breeze drifting in from the water.

Klein just leaned back slightly, resting his arm along the back of the couch as they waited.

Their drinks arrived a few minutes later.

Evelyne wrapped both hands around her cup, feeling the warmth seep into her fingers before taking a small sip.

Glancing at him, she asked "Did you get a new spirit after the first one?"

Taking a sip of his tea, he shook his head "No. I still have one spirit."

With a thoughtful hum, she replied "Hmm, that’s good. Since you are still in D rank... it’s better to have one and create a good bond with it."

"Getting many will put mental strain on you during battle, and you need a lot of mana to control them too."

Chuckling, she spoke "But with that head of yours, you might manage."

"Hoh? What’s with my head... hmm?"

She tilted her head slightly "How to put it... like... you know, you feel so experienced... the spear skill and the technique you demonstrated."

"And even in that duel against Yinran, you... are a prodigy."

"The way you move... the timing, the control... it feels like you’ve practiced for far longer than someone your age should have."

"I’ve trained in swordsmanship for years," she muttered, her fingers lightly tracing the rim of her cup as she spoke.

"And I’ve sparred with people far above my level. I know what experience looks like."

Klein let out a quiet chuckle, "You are overestimating it."

"I am not."

There was a small pause before she shifted the conversation slightly.

"...What about my sword skills? ...What do you think?"

Klein glanced at her and leaned back slightly "Hmm... You’re solid. Your fundamentals are clean. Your balance is good, and your control isn’t sloppy."

Her gaze softened slightly "I see... that’s good. Oh, also that reminds me, Julia went back to the house recently. She’s focusing entirely on swordsmanship now."

"As you and Master suggested that she has great talent in swordsmanship and told her to follow that path... she is going to do that."

Klein nodded faintly. "That’s the right choice."

Evelyne looked at him for a second, then let out a quiet breath, "I think she looks at you like a rival."

Klein was amazed to hear this "A rival?"

"She doesn’t say it openly, but I can tell. Julia has always been stubborn when she sets her mind on something."

"Every time your name comes up, she gets this look on her face."

"I think you’ve become a bit of a problem for her when Master accepted you instead of her."

With a soft nod, he replied "i can understand her frustration."

"Well... having a rival is good, you can polish your skills fighting against them."

Upon hearing this, she hummed as she turned to look at the river "Maybe I should also be your rival so we can fight each other daily and polish each other’s skills."

Turning to her, he replied with a teasing smile "Well, that privilege is not just for my rival... my girlfriend can also fight me daily. What do you think?"

Her eyes widened slightly, and a blush quickly took her face.

She looked away for a moment, clearly trying to steady herself, but the warmth onher cheeks didn’t fade.

The blush deepened, creeping up to the tips of her ears as her fingers tightened slightly around the cup.

"T-Then I guess... I will take the role seriously."

Seeing her, his gaze softened in affection ’She is cute...’

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